Visual signal for rural mailboxes

ABSTRACT

A CONVENTIONAL RURAL MAILBOX IS PROVIDED THEREBENEATH WITH A CASING THROUGH WHICH PROJECTS A ROD ENGAGEABLE AT ITS FORWARD END WITH THE MAILBOX DOOR AND AT ITS REAR END WITH A VISUAL SIGNAL, BIASED TO OPERATIVE POSITION AND HELD IN INOPERATIVE POSITION BY THE ADJACENT END OF THE ROD. THE SIGNAL IS ARRANGED IN A CASING, AT LEAST THE UPPER PORTION OF THE REAR WALL OF WHICH IS GLASS OR OTHER TRANSPARENT MATERIAL. THE ROD IS BIASED TO MOVE FORWARDLY WHEN THE MAILBOX DOOR IS OPENED, THUS RELEASING THE SIGNAL FOR MOVEMENT TO OPERATIVE POSITION TO ADVISE THE OCCUPANT OF THE HOUSE THAT MAIL HAS BEEN LACED IN THE BOX.

Sept. 20, 1971 F. R. TAYLOR VISUAL SIGNAL FOR RURAL uaxmsoxns 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1969 INVENTOR, Ham 2.734710 I Arm/ n.

Sept. 20, 1971 QT L 3,606,141

VISUAL SIGNAL FOR RURAL MAILBOXES Filed April 24, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I i G I I I I I I I 8 I I 7 i I I I i I I 5 I v I INVENTOR.

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United States Patent US. Cl. 232-35 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A conventional rural mailbox is provided therebeneath with a casing through which projects a rod engageable at its forward end with the mailbox door and at its rear end with a visual signal, biased to operative position and held in inoperative position by the adjacent end of the rod. The signal is arranged in a casing, at least the upper portion of the rear wall of which is glass or other transparent material. The rod is biased to move forwardly when the mailbox door is opened, thus releasing the signal for movement to operative position to advise/the occupant of the house that mail has been placed in the box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is old in the prior art to provide visual signals for rural mailboxes. These devices, however, are open to a number of objections. For example, the devices which operate the visual signals are arranged within the mailboxes and exposed when the door of the box is opened, and a person reaching into the box can be cut or scratched by the mechanism referred to. Moreover, the arranging of the operating parts of such a device within the mailbox reduces the capacity thereof and makes it diffieult quite often to slide bulky mail into the box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves the use of a mailbox which may be wholly conventional and is usuable with the present invention by cutting a single opening through the rear wall of the mailbox, as referred to below. The mailbox is detached from its support and the lower horizontal casing of the present invention is arranged beneath the mailbox, whereupon the device is again secured in position. The box is provided with a rear casing and the rear wall of such casing is parallel to the rear wall of the mailbox and provides a protective housing for a visual signal therein. At least the upper portion of the rear wall of the casing is transparent, and within the casing is arranged a visual signal. This signal is biased to an operative position to be visible to any occupant of the house, even at a substantial distance. A rod projects through the bottom horizontal casing of the device and has its forward end engaging the rear face of the mailbox door adjacent the pivotal connection thereof to the box. The rod is biased forwardly and held in a rearward position by the mailbox door. When the rod is thus held in operative rearward position, it engages a portion of the visual signal to hold the latter in inoperative position. When the door is opened, the rod moves forwardly by action of its biasing spring and releases the visual signal for movement to its operable visual position. When the mailbox is emptied of mail, a reset knob turns the visual signal to its inoperative position, in which position it is held until the mailbox door is shut, thus causing the rod to assume an operative position maintaining the signal in inoperative position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a rural mailbox showing the invention applied, parts being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the invention, parts being broken away;

FIGJS is a fragmentary vertical section on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the engagement of the forward end of the operating rod with the door; and

FIG. 7 is a detail section of the forward end of a modified form of operating rod.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates a conventional rural mailbox having a bottom wall 12, an arched top wall 14 and spaced parallel side walls 16. The forward end of the box is normally closed by a conventional door 18 pivoted to the side walls 16 as at 20 and provided with a spring latch 22 connecting it to the body of the box to hold it in closed position. The box is also provided with a vertical rear wall 24 (FIG. 5) and the elements described cover the usual type of rural mailbox which need not be materially altered for the attachment of the present invention thereto.

The present invention comprises a bottom casing indicated as a whole by the numeral 26 and a rear vertical casing indicated as a whole by the numeral 28. The bottom casing 26 comprises a bottom horizontal wall 3|] spaced below and parallel to the bottom wall 12 of the mailbox. The bottom wall 30 thus provides an elongated horizontal chamber 32 in which is arranged a horizontal operating rod 34 slidable in spaced L-shaped brackets 36 and 38 fixed to the bottom wall 30 (FIG. 3). The rod 34 extends forwardly through an opening 40 (FIG. 6) in the forward wall 42 of the casing 26 and is provided at the forward end with a head 44 engageable with the back wall of the mailbox door 18. It will be noted in FIG. 6 that the wall of the mailbox door is spaced forwardly of the axis of the pivots 20 of the door, and when the latter is opened, the wall 18 swings downwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 6.

Within the space 32, the rod 34 is provided with a sleeve 46 fixed thereto and a spring 48 is interposed between this sleeve and the angular clip 36 to bias the rod 34 forwardly. This rod is normally held with the head 44 in the solid line position shown in FIG. 6 by engagement with the door 18, and when the latter is opened, the rod 34 is projected forwardly so that the head 44 occupies the dotted line position shown in FIG. 6. This movement of the rod 34 is utilized for releasing for movement to operative position a visual signal to be described.

The bottom casing 26 may be fixed in any suitable manner to the mailbox. For example, this may be easily accomplished by the use of sheet metal screws 50, as shown in FIG. 2.

The rear vertical casing 28 may have its bottom wall integral with and forming a continuation of the bottom wall 30 of the casing 26, as shown in FIG. 5. The casing 28 comprises forward and rear walls 52 and 54, the former of which is preferably adjacent to and co-extensive with the rear wall 24 of the mailbox. The rear wall 54 extends-only partially throughout the height of the casing 28, terminating, for example, at the point 56 in FIG. 5. Outwardly of the upper end of the wall 54 is a glass or other transparent casing 58 having side and top walls 60. The top of the casing 28 overlies a spring clip 6-2 by means of which the upper extremity of the casing 28 is clipped to the mailbox 10.

A horizontal shaft 64 extends through the space 66 between the walls 52 and 54 of the casing 28. This shaft is mounted in bearings 68 and 70 carried respectively by the walls 52 and 54. A spacer block 72 is carried by the shaft 64 and carries a visual signal indicated as a whole by the numeral 74. This signal includes a shank 76 which is vertical in the operative position of the signal as shown in FIG. 5. This shank is provided with weights 78 to bias the signal to such operative position when released for movement thereto in a manner to be described. The upper end of the shank 76 carries a flag or signal 80 which may be shaped in profile as shown in FIG. 4. The top edge of the flag is arcuate and concentric with the axis of the shaft 64 and is provided at one end with an outwardly projecting lip 82 for a purpose to be described.

The shaft 64 projects through the walls 54 and 58 and is provided at its rear end with a reset knob 84 shaped as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. When the signal 80 is visible, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, the reset knob 84 will be in vertical position.

If desired, the forward end of the rod 34 may be constructed as shown in FIG. 7. This rod is provided at its forward end with a sleeve 86 in the forward end of which is arranged a polished steel ball 88 over which the forward extremity is peened as at 90. It will be apparent that when the door is opened, as shown in FIG. 6, appreciable friction will occur between the head 44 and the door 18. When the form of the device shown in FIG. 7 is used, the engagement of the forward end of the rod 34 with the door will be substantially frictionless.

OPERATION The rod 34 is normally held in a rearward position against the loading of the spring 48 by the door 18, in which case the rear end of the rod 34 will be arranged behind the projection 82', thus holding the visual signal in the angular dotted line position shown in FIG. 4.

When the mail carrier arrives to deposit mail in the box, he will pull open the door 18 in the usual manner, insert the mail and close the door. When the door is opened, the rod 34 will be projected forwardly by the spring 48 (FIG. 6) and the rear end of the rod will be moved forwardly out of the plane of the flag 80. The biasing weights '78 will then cause the visual signal to swing from the dotted line position in FIG. 4 to the solid line position. The flag 88* will be fully visible to an occupant of the house from a substantial distance away and he will be advised that mail has been deposited in the box.

The resident will then go to the mailbox, open the door of the box and pull the mail therefrom. After closing the mailbox door 18 the resident then turns the reset knob 84 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4, returning the visual signal to its normal hidden position, the rear end of the rod 34 will be projected through the plane of the flag 80 engaging the projection 82, holding the visual signal in a hidden position. The operation of the rod 34- in FIG. 7 will be identical with the operation described, the use of the polished steel ball 30 serving to reduce friction between the forward end of the rod 34 and the door 18 at the point where contact of these elements occurs.

It will be apparent that none of the operating parts of the device is arranged within the mailbox. On the contrary, they are housed within the two casings 26 and 28. Thus there are no exposed parts to injure the hand of a person reaching into the box. Also, there is nothing within the box to interfere with the insertion of mail or to reduce the capacity of the box. All parts of the mechanism are housed and thus fully protected from the weather and the signal when operative will be highly visible at a substantial distance from the mailbox. The occupant of the house thus need not leave the house in inclement weather to determine whether any mail has been deposited in the box.

As is Well known, the Government has approved a standard mailbox to which no additions can be made and in which no alterations are permitted. The present device does not alter the standard approved mailbox and is not sold therewith, but as a wholly separate item to be arranged beneath the mailbox. It is therefore unnecessary for the purchaser of one of the devices to secure permission from the Post Ofiice to use the device. The structure fits beneath a conventional mailbox, as described.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved visual signal for rural mailboxes which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A structure to fit beneath a conventional rural mailbox unit having a front end provided with a door, a bottom wall and a rear wall, comprising a shallow horizontal casing beneath said bottom wall, a rod projecting substantially from end to end of said casing, said door being pivoted to the mailbox unit and the forward end of said rod contacting with said door to be held thereby in a rearward position, means biasing said rod forwardly whereby upon the swinging of said door, said biasing means urges said rod forwardly, a signal rearwardly of said rear wall of said mailbox unit biased to an operative position and normally held in an inoperative position by said rod whereby when said door is opened, said signal is free to move to a visible operative position and a vertical casing rearwardly of said rear wall in which said signal is arranged, said vertical casing being completely closed and having a transparent rear wall portion through which said signal is visible when in operative position.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said signal comprises a flag and a shank projecting therefrom, said shank having weights to bias said signal to operative position.

3. A structure according to claim 2 wherein said flag is provided with a notch in which the adjacent end of said rod normally engages to hold said signal in inoperative position, forward movement of said rod moving the rear end thereof out of the plane of said flag to free said signal for movement to operative position.

4. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said vertical casing is provided with parallel front and rear walls, the upper portion of the latter of which is transparent and the lower portion of which is metal, bearings carried by said front and rear walls of said vertical casing, and a shaft mounted in said bearings and on which said signal is mounted.

5. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said shaft projects through said rear wall of said vertical casing, and a reset knob carried by the rear end of said shaft and manually operable to swing said signal from operative to inoperative position.

6. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal casing is provided with a horizontal bottom wall to which said rod is parallel, and bearings carried by said bottom wall of said horizontal casing and supporting said rod for longitudinal sliding movement.

7. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said door is provided with a vertical wall arranged forwardly of the pivot axis of said door whereby said wall of said door swings downwardly and beneath the pivot axis of said door when the latter is opened to free said rod for forward movement while sliding over the surface of said door 5 wall, the forward end only of said rod being provided with an anti-friction element engaging said door and sliding thereover when said door is opened.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Berg 23234 Smith 2324-35 Petrie 23 235 Holrngren 232-35 Hanson 23235 Wing 23235 Scheerer 23235 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner 

